Patients families have hit out at what they described as “cattle mart” Emergency Department (ED) conditions, as the highest-ever levels of patent overcrowding were recorded today at University Hospital Limerick.

Chronic overcrowding continued across the country’s hospitals as 531 admitted patients languished on trolleys in emergency departments and wards today.

Minister for Health Simon Harris has said his department is to order a review of bed capacity in hospitals to try to bring the number of working nurses to "adequate levels" writes David Raleigh.